Easy opening dispenser for barrier carton or container

ABSTRACT

The dispenser is designed for opening a container having hermetically sealed contents. A plastic open topped tray is provided having a peripheral continuous flange extending about the upper edges of the side and end walls. A cover panel is peripherally sealed to the flange. A potentially removable area is provided in the cover panel in spaced relation to, and inwardly of the peripherally sealed areas. The removable area is defined by an endless weakened line of separation. A patch of thin frangible material is secured in face contact to the under surface of the cover panel to underlie the removable area and portions of the cover panel encircling the weakened line of separation.

Elited States Seiter atent [1 1 Aug. 12, 1975 [75] Inventor: George M. Seiter, Minneapolis,

Minn.

[73] Assignee: Hoerner Waldorf Corporation, Saint Paul, Minn.

[22] Filed: Feb. 23, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 334,998

3,298,593 1/1967 Stephenson 229/51 TS 3,325,003 6/1967 Bilezerian .1 221/46 3,499,575 3/1970 Rockefeller 221/55 Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm,lerry F. Best 57 ABSTRACT The dispenser is designed for opening a container having hermetically sealed contents. A plastic open topped tray is provided having a peripheral continuous flange extending about the upper edges of the side and end walls. A cover panel is peripherally sealed to the flange. A potentially removable area is provided in the cover panel in spaced relation to, and inwardly of the peripherally sealed areas. The removable area is de fined by an endless weakened line of separation. A patch of thin frangible material is secured in face contact to the under surface of the cover panel to underlie the removable area and portions of the cover panel encircling the weakened line of separation.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures EASY OPENING DISPENSER FOR BARRIER CARTON OR CONTAINER This invention relates to an improvement in easy opening dispenser for barrier carton or container, and deals particularly with a container for hermetically closing the product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For many years tissues, pads and the like have been contained in paperboard containers tissues have been commonly sold in rectangular cartons with a potential removable area in one panel thereof which, when removed, permits the tissues to be removed. During recent years tissues have been developed which are impregnated with a solution which makes the tissues useful for a predetermined function. For example, tissues impregnated with an oily material have been developed for use in dusting or polishing furniture and the like. Other tissues or pads have been produced useful in the cleansing of the hands or face. Tissues and pads impregnated with other material have been produced for accomplishing various other types of tasks.

One of the problems involved with products of this type lie in the fact that the pads or tissues may be impregnated with a liquid which is somewhat volatile, and lose their effectiveness after being contained for a time in a paperboard carton of common type. Light weight plastic trays may be used to contain products of this type, the open top trays being provided with a cover of plastic, paper or the like to hermetically seal the product. However, trays of this type are difficult to open, particularly where it is not desirable to remove the entire top closure and expose the contents to atmosphere. If removable areas such are commonly usedon paperboard tissue boxes are provided in the top closure panel, the perforations allow the transfer of moisture through the closure panel. Furthermore, the liquid material within the container is very likely to wick into the paperboard and discolor the paperboard in the area of the weakened lines of separation. This applies both to weakened lines formed by perforations and also weakened lines defined by cut score lines extending into opposite surfaces of the paperboard. If the cover is made of plastic, the removable area must be encircled by perforations or cut lines extending through the panel if the removable area is to be readily and neatly removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a container including a thin wall plastic tray having an open upper end normally provided with a peripheral flange extending outwardly along the upper edges of the tray walls. The plastic used to form the tray will not absorb the liquid impregnated into the pads or tissues contained. A cover panel is provided which is marginally heat sealed or adhered to the flange of the tray. The cover panel is provided with an endless weakened line of separation which defines a removable area.

In order to prevent the perforations from providing passages through which moisture vapor may pass or which permit wicking of the impregnating liquid into the paperboard, a patch of material such as light weight metal foil is adhered to the under surface of the cover panel to completely underlie the removable area and the marginal area of the cover panel about this removable area. In view of the fact that the perforations are sealed by the foil film, the perforations may be such that the removable area may be easily separated from the remainder of the panel. It has been found that when the removable area is detached and removed, the foil patch will tear neatly along the weakened line of separation in the panel, and the portion of the foil patch underlying the removable area will remain adhered thereto, and will be removed therewith.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a cover for an opened topped tray which may be of paperboard coated with a coating which is nonabsorbent to the material with which the tissues or pads are impregnated. Preferrably, the coating is compatable with the plastic forming the opened topped tray so that the cover panel may be heat sealed to the peripheral flange around the perimeter of the top of the tray. The paperboard panel is provided with a weakened line of separation, such as perforations, which permit the ready removal of the removable area. A foil patch is adhered or heat sealed to the under surface, or coated surface, of the cover panel to completely cover the removable area and portions of the panel completely encircling the removable area. By pressing downwardly on the removable area, the foil will tear along the edge of the perforated area and be removed with the removable area. This area may also be readily removed by pressing and end of the area downwardly, grasping this end, and pulling upwardly, accomplishing the same result.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container, the contents of which are hermetically sealed from atmosphere.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container after the removable area or plug has been removed.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through the container in partially opened form, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the cover panel may be formed.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the cover panel showing the foil patch in place.

FIG. 6 is an elarged sectional detail showing the manner in which the foil protects the perforations from the liquid with which the pads or tissues are impregnated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the following description, a complete package is illustrated including an outer rectangular open topped paperboard tray, an open topped plastic tray enclosed within the outer tray, and a rectangular cover panel having flanges connected to the sides and ends thereof designed to fold down for attachment to the walls of the outer paperboard tray. Such an arrangement is provided because of its esthetic effect, and to provide a rectangular container which may be easily handled and stored. Obviously, however, the outer paperboard tray and the downwardly foldable flanges on the cover panel may be omitted insofar as the operation of apparatus is concerned.

The outer paperboard tray is not shown in detail, but comprises merely a rectangular bottom panel 11 hingedly connected to end walls 12 and side walls such as 13, one of which is indicated in FIG. 3. Means are provided for connecting the corners of the side and end walls, this means not being illustrated in the drawings.

Resting within the outer tray is an inner plastic tray which is indicated in general by the numeral 14. The plastic tray 14 is normally provided with a bottom panel 15 and upperwardly and outwardly inclined side and end walls 16 which are formed intragally with the bottom panel and completely encircle the same. The flange 17 extends peripherally about the upper edges of the tray walls, the flanges 17 being continuous on a common plane. The flanges 17 have their upper surfaces on the same plane as the upper edges of this side walls 12 of the outer tray, or slightly above the upper edges of the side walls 12.

The cover panel is indicated in general by the numeral l9, and includes a top panel 20 of substantially the same size and shape as the bottom panel 11 of the paperboard tray. As indicated in the drawings side wall flanges 21 are hingedly connected to opposite sides of the top panel 20 along parallel fold lines 22, and end flanges 23 are hingedly connected to the ends of the cover panel 20 along parallel fold lines 24.

A potentially removable area 25 is provided near the center of the panel 19 spaced from the marginal edges thereof. This removable area 25 is defined by an endless line of perforations 26 which permit the ready removal of the removable area from the panel 20.

As indicated in FIG. 5 of the drawings, a generally rectangular patch 27 of imperforate readily frangible material such as thin metal foil or the like is adhered or heat sealed in face contact with the under surface of the panel 19. Preferrably, the under surface of the cover member 19 is coated with a coating which will not absorb the liquid with which the tissues or pads 29 are impregnated. As indicated in FIG. 5, the patch 27 underlies the removable area 25 and is adhered to the panel in an area completely encircling the perforated lines 26.

In operation, the plactic tray 14 is inserted in the opened topped paperboard tray 10 and filled with tissues, pads, or other contents which are greasy, oily, or wet. The cover panel 19 is placed upon the peripheral flange l7 and is heat sealed thereto, or adhered thereto with an adhesive impervious to the contents of the tray 14. The flanges 21 and 23 are folded down over the side and end walls of the paperboard tray 10 and are either heat sealed or adhered thereto.

In view of the fact that the perforations are completely covered by the foil patch 27, the contents of the container are hermetically sealed prior to the opening of the container.

When it is desired to gain access to the carton contents, pressure is applied to the removable area as indicated by the arrow 30 in FIG. 3 and the removable plug is separated from the remainder of the panel 20. During this operation, the foil tears neatly along the edge of the removable area. Alternatively, after the downward pressure has been applied one end of the removable plug, the detached end of the area may be grasped and pulled upwardly, tearing the foil in the same manner as described.

In place of foil, certain other films may be used, such as plastic having a bursting strength which will allow easy entry to the contents. The cover member may either be coated paperboard with foil lamination on the outside or might be plastic or thin metal.

In accordance with the Patent Statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in EASY OPENING DISPENSER FOR BARRIER CARTON OR CONTAINER: and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. An easy opening container containing a product, the container including:

an open topped tray having connected side and end walls,

an outwardly extending continuous flange on the upper edges of said side and end walls,

a cover panel sealed about its periphery to said flange,

said cover panel having a coating of heat sealable material over its entire under surface,

a potentially removable area in said cover panel spaced inwardly from said peripherally sealed portions of said cover panel,

said removable area being defined by an endless weakened line of separation,

a patch of imperforate easily frangible metal foil secured to the under surface of said cover panel completely underlying said weakened line of separation and secured to portions of said cover panel completely encircling said weakened line,

means adhering said patch of metal foil to said cover panel on either side of said weakened line of separation,

whereby downward pressure on said potentially removable area will tear said metal foil along said weakened line of separation. 

1. An easy opening container containing a product, the container including: an open topped tray having connected side and end walls, an outwardly extending continuous flange on the Upper edges of said side and end walls, a cover panel sealed about its periphery to said flange, said cover panel having a coating of heat sealable material over its entire under surface, a potentially removable area in said cover panel spaced inwardly from said peripherally sealed portions of said cover panel, said removable area being defined by an endless weakened line of separation, a patch of imperforate easily frangible metal foil secured to the under surface of said cover panel completely underlying said weakened line of separation and secured to portions of said cover panel completely encircling said weakened line, means adhering said patch of metal foil to said cover panel on either side of said weakened line of separation, whereby downward pressure on said potentially removable area will tear said metal foil along said weakened line of separation. 